Buoyant grommet for caps



April 7, 1970 P. G. GALLIN BUOYANT GROMMET FOR CAPS Filed June 24. 1968 FIG. 2

INVENTOR PAUL 6. GALLIN vmi U gwf ATTO NEYS United States Patent O 3,504,380 BUOYANT GROMMET FOR CAPS Paul G. Gallin, 729 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10003 Filed .lune 24, 1968, Ser. No. 739,473 Int. Cl. A42b 1/02 U.S. Cl. 2--199 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A buoyant grommet adapted to be inserted within the crown of a yachting or like cap is in the form of an annular member having the characteristic of flexibility and also having a substantial degree of torsional resiliency whereby the associated cap may be shaped by twisting the grommet. The grommet is of cellular internal structure and of sufiicient bulk to render the associated cap buoyant.

Background of the invention Flotation devices for yachting caps, for example, which take the form of an inflatable inner tube are old and wellknown but devices of this nature tend to rigidify and stiffen the cap and do not permit it to be shaped, and in general lend an unnatural appearance thereto. They also are subject to puncture and leakage and become totally inoperative.

Brief summary of the invention According to the invention, a buoyant grommet for yachting caps and like wearing apparel does not restrict the cap to a predetermined and fixed shape by virtue 0f its presence within the cap. The grommet comprises an annular, flexible cylindrical element covered with a sheath of woven construction so that the entire assemblage has a degree of torsional resiliency. In this fashion, pretorsioning of the element will allow it to undulate along its length as to impart a particular desired shape to the associated yachting cap or like piece of wearing apparel. The cylindrical element is constituted by a cellular body surrounded by an impervious skin to render the body buoyant.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a yachting cap in phantom line and in full line showing the buoyant grommet according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the length of the grommet and showing the friction resisting protective sheath therefor;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken through a portion of a yachting cap showing the disposition of the grommet interiorly thereof;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational View of a yachting cap having a grommet therein and showing one of the many shapes which may be imparted to a cap by means of pretorsioning the grommet of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the manner in which pretorsioning of the grommet is effected and FIG. 7 is a view showing the joined pretorsioned ends of the grommet.

Detailed description of the invention Referring now in detail to the drawing, specifically to FIGS. 1 and 4, a yachting cap 10 will be seen to include a crown portion 12 provided with an overhanging top 14 forming an outwardly extending annular pocket 16 within which a grommet usually is seated. A grommet 18 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. It will 3,504,380 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 lbe appreciated that the material of the cap in its top portion and particularly in the overhanging region thereof is fabricated of flexible material so that it may be shaped as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.

The installation of' a grommet, other than a bendable metal strip as may readily `tbe appreciated, tends to rigidify the cap and prevent desired shaping thereof to suit the individual tastes of the wearer. This problem is overcome by the grommet 18 which, in addition to being buoyant, according to the present invention allows great latitude in shaping a cap without in any way detracting from the buoyant effect desired.

As may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the grommet itself consists of a cylindrical body 19 constituted by a cellular core 20 of very low density and which is covered 4by a very lthin skin 22 that is impervious to Water and will thus allow the grommet to remain buoyant and properly to operate over extended periods of time even when partially or fully submerged in water. The outer surface of the skinv 22 is covered with a woven sheath 23 Iwhich comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinally extending yarns 24 and helically extending cross yarns 26 and 28 respectively wound in opposite directions and interwoven with each other and under and over the longitudinally extending yarns 24. This sheath is snugly engaged on the body 19 and in cooperation therewith lends a substantial degree of torsional flexibility and resiliency to the grommet 18.

The grommet initially is formed of an elongated length of the cylindrical body 19, the ends of which are joined in abutting relation in a sealed joint 30, FIG. 1. If the body ends are joined with no pretorsioning of the body 19, the grommet will lie in a flat plane. However, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, if the opposite end portions 32 and 34 of the body 19 are twisted in opposite directions before being butted together and joined as by a tape 36, a predetermined degree of pretorsioning is effected which will cause the grommet, when joined, not to lie in a fiat plane but to undulate with respect to a plane.

With the pretorsioning of the grommet, a cap may be shaped as shown in FIG. 5, or various other shapes as desired may be imparted to the cap, all in accord with the manner in which the pretorsioning is applied to the device before the ends are joined. As a matter of fact, localized pretorsioning will not extend much beyond the extent of the region thus torsioned and it is possible to achieve highly individualistic effects as may be desired by the individual wearer.

What is claimed is:

1. A buoyant annular grommet for insertion into a crown portion ofa yachting and a like cap which comprises a core of cellular material having an impervious outer skin and exhibiting sufficiently low density to float an associated cap, and a woven sheath covering said core to protect said skin from frictional wear, and free ends of the core being joined in sealed relation to maintain |buoyancy.

2. A grommet according to claim 1 wherein said woven sheath comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending yarns and cross yarns extending helically around the device and interwoven with each other and with longitudinal yarns.

3. A grommet according to claim 1 wherein said core is pretorsioned and said Woven sheath cooperates therewith to impart torsional resiliency.

4. A buoyant grommet for insertion within the crown of a yachting cap to lend buoyancy thereto and to impart shape to such crown, comprising in combination,

a core of cellular material of circular cross section, said core of material being in torsion along its length and having its opposite ends joined forming the core in an undulated ring, and

a. Woven sheath snugly surrounding said core, said sheath including longitudinally extending yarns and helically extending yarns criss-crossing each other r and said longitudinal yarns throughout the length of o said core.

References Cited Lev 2-195 Lev 2-195 Kalensky 2-198 Mann 9-340 Pattison 9-340 Dudley 2-195 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

